A man accused of stealing copper from a Federal Aviation Administration radar tower was arrested following a month-long investigation, sheriff’s officials said Saturday.
The suspected theft occurred on June 2 in an unincorporated county area near Edom Hill and Varner roads, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
The radio tower sustained damages of over $50,000, Sgt. Christopher Ternes said.
Investigators identified Caleb Wilcox, 43, of Thousand Palms as the primary suspect, and he was located and arrested on Friday in the 73000 block of Ramon Road, Ternes said.
Wilcox was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of grand theft and felony vandalism and released the same day after posting $7,500 bail.